Builds upon the already legendary sound and performance of the classic B-3!

The Hammond XK-3c Drawbar Organ follows in the footsteps of the award-winning Hammond XK-3, known around the world as the new B-3. The Hammond XK-3 has become the definitive must-have keyboard for dedicated organ player who demand nothing but the best.

This musical instrument does what has never been done before - offering you the classic "tone-wheel" sound by utilizing 96-digital tone wheels. This Vase III sound generator now makes it possible to reproduce all of the characteristics of the vintage Hammond B-3. Additionally, the Hammond XK-3 houses two internal vacuum tubes that will change continuously from pre-amp mode to overdrive mode via control knob. The Hammond XK-3 organ also includes 12 reverse color key presets, 3 sets of drawbars, a 2-rotor digital Leslie, and a 6 -position rotary VIBRATO/CHORUS KNOB, all the features you would expect to find on a Hammond Vintage B-3.

There is something magical about the XK3c. I've been a B3/C3/C2 player for more than 40 years and swore that the sound of the B3 could never be reproduced electronically. Since the...Read complete review

There is something magical about the XK3c. I've been a B3/C3/C2 player for more than 40 years and swore that the sound of the B3 could never be reproduced electronically. Since the B3 is electro-mechanical, there are mechanical sounds present such as the tone wheels and the bleeding of tones because the pickups transmit the noise as well as the tone. Key clicks and tone bleeding. It's what is discernable to the human ear that makes clones sound as though there is 'something' missing. That, and the genuine Leslie speaker. In a real Leslie, the organist can 'feel' the air moving when the rotors spin. It's pushing air towards you and it's a unique sensation that is missing in most clones. Not so for the XK3c. This is the closest I've ever come to the real deal. You can tune each tonewheel and adjust the amount of tone bleeding and key click to your taste. The percussion is awesome and the Leslie simulator is the best I've heard. The reverb is so-so, but I can live with that; especially in a live performance setting. I'm glad I won't be breaking my back moving a Leslie 145 anymore. Not needed with a good PA system and if I were to use it, I'd have a mic on it anyway. No more waiting for help loading a B3 at almost 400lbs. AND............I don't have to worry about tilting the organ and spilling oil.I just can't say enough about this product and would buy it again in a heartbeat. This thing really floats my boat.I'm also using the Hammond EXP100f expression pedal for swelling the volume. I suggest that if you're buying the organ, then get the expression pedal as well. Even though this model has a kick switch on the left side of the pedal, it's very awkward. I intend to buy the Hammond half moon switch which mounts on the front just like the B3 Leslie and persussion switches do. It's habit.I'm considering buying the lower manual in the future but I have a Kawai MP6 that has such good tonewheel/drawbar sounds that I'm currently using that as the lower manual.Ah.......the drawbars! The XK3c has a set for the main manual, the lower manual, and two bars for the optional bass foot pedals. I'm trying to find out if I can MIDI out the lower manual drawbars to the Kawai MP6.If you are serious about a B3 sound for a fraction of the cost and the weight, don't hesitate. Just buy it!Tech support is also available directly from Hammond/Suzuki.

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Most Liked Negative Review

Hammond B3 versus Xk3c and others

I use to have a Hammond C3 for several years but sold it to buy the hammond Xk3c.Lets start with Reverb its very bad.It has an ondulation sounds without rotating the leslie simulator.The...Read complete review

I use to have a Hammond C3 for several years but sold it to buy the hammond Xk3c.Lets start with Reverb its very bad.It has an ondulation sounds without rotating the leslie simulator.The percussion on lower notes are different with the B3 because on B3 percussion on lower notes are bigger and fatter. The chorus on slow rotor sounds good but not perfect as the B3. The rest wonderfull. I have heard and played the korg x3 which at his time was very good, and have seen new roland VR 700 and it sounds good on all sounds. Reverb sounds good, but in organ, The chorus is not as good as Xk3c. I am happy with my Xk3c and waiting for the new model SK1 and SK2 that dosent weight as Xk3c and piano and other sounds are nice. I hope this review will help you

After having one of these for several years, I have to say it is SO worth it. Totally smokes all imitators (including my Yamaha Motif which I love also). Forget all previous Hammond portables. The biggest problem with those was limited controls (e.g, drawbars, etc.) and useless emulated Leslie. This is a B3 with multiple Leslie options in a suitcase.

I run this (and my other Kbs) through a pair of Roland KC350s in stereo, which produces a noticeable difference over mono, especially if you also run it out over a PA. The stereo effect diminishes as the night wears on and the volume goes up

The soft wood case is a problem, I've scarred and chipped mine up to the point of needing repair/refinishing. Also, the cost for the lower manual is ridiculous considering its just a midi trigger. Not really needed for most rock/pop stuff anyway.

And don't believe any of the reviews that say its 'heavy'. Really? Compared to which other Hammond?

Lots to say. First, Musician's Friend has always been, and is, the best, customer satisfaction supplier out there. The XK-3c has some cautions and Hammond USA people are unbelievably miserable, to me anyway. I have owned studios with 1 B3 and 2 C3's and for the last many years have used a VOCE V3 rack mount simulator with the same, if not more, programmable functions as the XK. If you are a live performer only, than the unit is great. Hammond really got the tube overdrive and chorus & vibrato perfectly. If you use MIDI software be aware. The XK will not send, nor, receive CTRL 7 (volume). So, if you want to sit at your virtual mixer board and move the volume slider up and down, forget it. It will record expression, however, when you play it back you will get nothing. You have to go through the onboard menu system and change the expression source to MIDI. Now, to play again, you have to go back and change it back again. Like many forum contributors have stated, out of the box, it isn't what you'd expect. You must do quite a bit of tweaking, which is a good thing, or not, but, it will end up great. It is, after all, an incredibly versatile machine. Now, let's talk about Hammond USA tech support. When I mentioned the out of the box comment, he told me I bought the wrong model and should have purchased an SX series (Honest!!) They made it abundantly clear that they have "thousands of customers and many celebrities" and I, obviously, am not one of them. (the celebrity part is true, however I am a customer). I got a "factory fresh" unit that was obviously used and I can prove it. (I firmly believe that Musician's Friend had no knowledge of this.) That really set Hammond off and it went down hill from there. Other issues that they won't address: the HI foldback does not work (in my opinion) on my unit. The reason for the return, perhaps? Tech support stated that you can not use both sets of drawbars for the upper manual … yes you can. The manual calls for a compact flash card that is obsolete. I found a 2005 forum entry that stated that a SanDisk 4G would work if it is a type 1. After speaking to SanDisk they stated that an 8G "should" work, so I got one. When I tried to format it, I got an I/O Error. Stupidly, I called Hammond and asked what card do they recommend. The manager stated, and I quote: I have seen your e-mails. There are thousands of cards out there. Go out and get one." I stated that I did and do you want me to go back to the store and randomly pick another one? He replied "Yep". When we got to the used issue he went ballistic and I ended our conversation. I started calling 18 different "Authorized" Hammond dealers and no one could tell me what card to use, nor, answer the foldback situation. Unbelievable! BTW: a SanDisk 8G card did work on the second try, although I haven't tried a restore yet. This has been my personal experience with no personal coloration. Again, I am a very satisfied Musician's Friend customer. They offered to exchange the unit, however, I do not want to put them through that until I can verify the foldback is defective.

If you are looking for the classic B3 sound but don't have a moving crew on hand, this is a greater alternative. All the sounds are there if you are willing to find them. There is a lot of variation in the sounds produced by the old organs and the capability to replicate them is in here, too. Leslie sim is awesome, ditto the overdrive. I was reasonably pleased with the sounds I was getting from my Yamaha Synth, but thought they were hard to tweak. Now I realize that I was just hearing what I wanted to hear. This is so much better. Yamaha is still a good keyboard, but it's not a Hammond. What's not perfect? Well, I think it's probably heavier than it needs to be by virtue of the somewhat cheesy wood case - quality plastic or metal would have been lighter and maybe more durable, too. Also, the manual is very poorly translated, and probably wasn't even very complete in its original language. But I don't care about those things. I bought it for the sound and it delivers.

You won't be disappointed with the Hammond XK-3c. I've owned B-3's, and still have 2 A-100's, and hardly touch anything but the XK-3c. Realistic sounds and effects, a hell of a lot easier to move, authentic keyboard feel, and just a blast to play. And as many a organist would say.....it's got balls! Kick the pedal and it WILL scream!

I've owned mine for a year now and use it for playing in roller rinks all over (don't laugh, its a gig). It's been in and out of the car countless times and has never given me a bit of trouble. I have the full setup, lower manual, bench, and pedals. Everyone loves the sound and I'd buy another one in a instant. Only drawbacks are the wood used for the cabinet is not very durable and shows the nicks and dings easily, and some of the screws have loosened up on the lower manual case. And of course there is the price......bench and pedals I thought were kind of on the high side, but I bit the bullet and got them anyway, and I'm glad I did. Pedalboard gets pounded and never a problem and the bench is rock solid.

So stop procrastinating and order the thing.....you Won't be disappointed!

I could ramble forever about thie board. The short version is if you ever wanted the sound of the B-3 without having to hire a moving company to haul it to every gig. This boards for you (no punn intended :). The only difficulty has been locating the recommended HFC 32 compact flash card for backing up created or preset editing. I was told by a Hammond rep that a San Disk CF card of 1G or less would suffice. Any larger memory might confuse the units formatting/initialization. Had I been in better financial position i would have purchased the pro line or the lower manual as well. Definitely get the expression pedal, a leslie, the foot pedals, and and and .....ooohhh snap Im rambling. Just buy it and treat yourself as only the best for the best. Enjoy!

I've been playing funk and jazz for the last 12 years and love the sound of the Hammond organ. My biggest pet peeve w/ music is moving equipment and I would never lugg around a full size B3. The XK3 is the best of both worlds. You get the sound w/o needing a moving van and 3 guys to move it. You can take that thing to a gig, plug it up to any amp, and wail. I get goose bumps playing the XK3 and can't tell the difference between it and a 300lb B3 on stage or on a recording. Get this thang man and play it!

It is really amazing how great this machine is. I've had mine for 2 years and have had no regrets. Leslie is spot on and the tube od is NASTY. When the band i'm in (Hundred Yard Smash) was ready to record an album i found that this organ is flawless in the studio. Listening to it on record you can really appreciate how smoothe the leslie sounds while switching speeds. And did i mention how nice it is to have physical drawbars to play with!

Been wanting this keyboard for a long time. Love it but love it more with the 3300 Leslie I purchased with it which really brings the organ out as it should sound. I've played Hammonds for many years and this is a great alternative to the heavier organs and can be tweaked to your desire of sounds. I'm still new with mine and learning but so far I am totally impressed. The Hammond 20 note foot pedals will be here in a couple days and am really looking forward in that. I like this keyboard to because I can split the left and right hand with the drawbars. A Great little machine and Leslie.

This is an amazing and "inspirational" piece of equipment that is so far advanced from the original mothership that I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would not purchase the XK3c, after playing it, rather than an original Hammond of choice. My background is an owner of two B 2's with Trek percussion added as well as spring reverb. Both were tweeked by a professional teckie, however when I couldn't get the last one into the living room of our last home I was moved with compassion, due to it having to "B" in the garage, and sold it.I went thru a back surgery a year and a half ago, and during my recovery time purchased the XK3c . . . . . . . . . .. I believe that it helped speed up my recovery, and I know it has stirred up the creative juices in my song writing, and has encouraged my technical skills as well. Oh, where was this 35 yr's ago when I lugged the ol' "B" up -n- down -n- in -n- out of all performance situations?????? God for the advanced technologies of the 21'st century. There is every conceivable, programmable, Hammond sound senario possible. And you can make a few of your own, as well as the Leslie type's, it just gets crazy good!I still have a Leslie that I use periodically, but with my EV -SaX100 powered monitors (x 4) you can't tell I'm not using the real thing. Go ahead and BUY ONE~~~~~~~~!

There is something magical about the XK3c. I've been a B3/C3/C2 player for more than 40 years and swore that the sound of the B3 could never be reproduced electronically. Since the B3 is electro-mechanical, there are mechanical sounds present such as the tone wheels and the bleeding of tones because the pickups transmit the noise as well as the tone. Key clicks and tone bleeding. It's what is discernable to the human ear that makes clones sound as though there is 'something' missing. That, and the genuine Leslie speaker. In a real Leslie, the organist can 'feel' the air moving when the rotors spin. It's pushing air towards you and it's a unique sensation that is missing in most clones. Not so for the XK3c. This is the closest I've ever come to the real deal. You can tune each tonewheel and adjust the amount of tone bleeding and key click to your taste. The percussion is awesome and the Leslie simulator is the best I've heard. The reverb is so-so, but I can live with that; especially in a live performance setting. I'm glad I won't be breaking my back moving a Leslie 145 anymore. Not needed with a good PA system and if I were to use it, I'd have a mic on it anyway. No more waiting for help loading a B3 at almost 400lbs. AND............I don't have to worry about tilting the organ and spilling oil.I just can't say enough about this product and would buy it again in a heartbeat. This thing really floats my boat.I'm also using the Hammond EXP100f expression pedal for swelling the volume. I suggest that if you're buying the organ, then get the expression pedal as well. Even though this model has a kick switch on the left side of the pedal, it's very awkward. I intend to buy the Hammond half moon switch which mounts on the front just like the B3 Leslie and persussion switches do. It's habit.I'm considering buying the lower manual in the future but I have a Kawai MP6 that has such good tonewheel/drawbar sounds that I'm currently using that as the lower manual.Ah.......the drawbars! The XK3c has a set for the main manual, the lower manual, and two bars for the optional bass foot pedals. I'm trying to find out if I can MIDI out the lower manual drawbars to the Kawai MP6.If you are serious about a B3 sound for a fraction of the cost and the weight, don't hesitate. Just buy it!Tech support is also available directly from Hammond/Suzuki.